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A Jack Russell is an all-around active and intelligent breed of terrier, so it’s not unusual for them to enjoy playing games with their people. This post will outline the best games for JRTs, with lots of pictures and video clips of the dogs having a blast! These games are perfect for both families with small children as well as single pet owners.
Some JRTs like to use their minds while others like to focus more on their physical coordination skills. Regardless of which type your pup is, finding the right game can help you bond in a fun way that also keeps your dog healthy and happy. The following games will help you to activate your dog’s brain while also keeping your dog happy and distracted.
My Favourite Jack Russell Games
Sniffing Games
My Jack Russells have all love to play ‘find it’ where you show the dog a treat (let him/her sniff it) then shut the dog out of the room and hide a treat somewhere. When the treat is hidden, and he has had a sniff so knows what he is looking for he will use his nose and start searching. My Jack Russells usually find the treat between 15 seconds and 3 minutes depending on how well hidden the treat is and how smelly the treat is! This is one of my favourite Jack Russell games as it’s fun for all the family to watch.
- The main fabric is soft, durable and safe polar fleece, filled with PP cotton.
- Hide dry food in it for dogs who eat too quickly, so you can reduce the quick entwined without chewing.
- Safe TRP toy in corn, dogs can bite it or grind their teeth.
If you want to take this a step further you can actually buy snuffle mats for dogs, which are rag mats that have lots of places to hide treats in – these work wonders when you go out and want to leave your dog something to do.
Fetch
Most Jack Russells love to play fetch and tennis balls are the most popular choice. First you need to assess whether your JRT is interested in balls – some are, some aren’t, but you will see instantly when you get the ball moving if he loves it! Sometimes you can have a Jack Russell who loves to fetch the ball but won’t give it back!
- FUN FOR PETS AND PET PARENTS: This 7.5 Inch diameter kick ball, satisfies your dog's natural chasing instincts. Pet parents can kick, throw or punt this fetch toy, allowing for hours of interactive fun for your pet
- FLOATS IN WATER: Canvas, rubber and foam construction of this Chuckit fetch toy allows engaging playtime on land or water while being gentle on your pet's teeth and gums
- EASY PICK-UP: Featuring deep ridges, dogs can easily grab the Chuckit durable dog toy for quick retrieval and pet parents can just kick it, without having to worry about pet slobber
With Milo, we used to have two balls on the go on rotation, because he would bring and release the first ball when he saw the second one ready to throw! It helps them to spend their energy and is great fun for both the dogs and their owners. Depending on the size of your house (and whether you have breakables!)
you can also check out this article on Jack Russell toys to play games with.
Football
Yes it’s true, I’ve had two Jack Russells in my lifetime that were absolutely brilliant at football – Patch and Milo. Make sure that it is a sturdy football and that they are supervised with it. Then you can take them into the garden or to a safe enclosed field and have a kick around. They will get a lot of energy out when they chase it.
Interactive Dog Puzzles
We love to use Nina Ottosson dog puzzles for our Jack Russells. Your dog has to learn how to twist and turn them to get to the treats. It stimulates them mentally and physically. These puzzles have different levels from 1 (easiest) to 3 (hard) and so you can start with the easy and when they have mastered that one increase the difficulty by progressing to the next level.
- LEVEL 3 - ADVANCED DOG TWISTER PUZZLE TOY: Designed by Nina Ottosson in Sweden, this toy is designed for advanced levels of problem-solving play that challenge your dog with learning sequential steps, A fun way for your smart pups to train their brain while redirecting destructive or negative behaviour!
- TURN BOREDOM INTO BRAIN BUILDING FUN: Interactive dog puzzle toys provide the perfect mix of entertainment and mental challenge, Keeping your dog’s mind sharp, their curiosity satisfied, and their energy happily focused throughout the day - away from destructive behaviour
- BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOUR DOG: Feel proud knowing your dog is thriving with Nina Ottosson’s trusted puzzle toys, Designed to boost mental development, provide rewarding challenges, and create meaningful moments of joy and connection for you and your pet
You might also want to read: Why does my Jack Russell follow me everywhere?
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